Delegates walk out as Netanyahu rejects Palestinian statehood at UNGA

The United Nations General Assembly became a scene of unprecedented protest Friday, as at least 50 delegates walked out in response to Israel’s destructive war in Gaza, following reports of mounting civilian deaths, targeted killings of journalists and humanitarian workers, and fears of regional escalation. The walkout underscored international alarm at Israel’s conduct in Gaza, which local health authorities say has left more than 65,000 Palestinians dead, killed hundreds of journalists, UN staff, and healthcare professionals, and reduced much of the enclave to rubble.

The scale of death does not tell the whole story: journalists have been killed in record numbers, hospitals bombed, and aid convoys struck, making this war the deadliest ever for media and relief workers. Many of those deaths occurred in attacks on hospitals and humanitarian sites.

Beyond Gaza, Israel’s recent strikes on Iran and Qatar have raised the specter of a wider war. In June, Israel launched aerial assaults on Iranian sites, and later targeted areas in Qatar, with its fighter jets reportedly transiting Saudi and Jordanian airspace. That these flights crossed Arab states even as their leaders condemned Israel at the UN highlighted tensions between public outrage and quiet cooperation. Jordan briefly closed its airspace after one such strike, but critics note its history of facilitating military overflights. Saudi Arabia too has been accused of tacitly permitting Israeli flight corridors despite its public denunciations.

In addresses earlier at the Assembly, Arab and Muslim leaders denounced Israel’s bombardments and the humanitarian collapse in Gaza, while Western nations including France, Britain, and Canada formally recognized Palestinian statehood as a step to preserve the two-state solution. Outside the UN, massive pro-Palestinian demonstrations filled New York streets.

Against this backdrop, Netanyahu delivered a defiant rejection of Palestinian statehood, calling it a dangerous signal that “murdering Jews pays off” and invoking the October 7, 2023 Hamas attack that killed about 1,200 Israelis. He vowed Israel’s military campaign would continue until Hamas is destroyed, and addressed hostages still in Gaza, saying his government had installed loudspeakers to broadcast reassurances across the border.

Inside the hall, Netanyahu accused world leaders of capitulating to “biased media, radical Islamist constituencies and antisemitic mobs,” while insisting that many privately thanked Israel for its intelligence cooperation. But his position is constrained by far-right coalition partners at home and an arrest warrant issued by the International Criminal Court for alleged war crimes in Gaza.

Meanwhile, U.S. President Donald Trump cautioned that recognition of Palestine risks rewarding Hamas, while also ruling out any Israeli annexation of the West Bank. He is expected to meet Netanyahu in Washington to discuss a potential framework for ending hostilities.